MTN has been named the second-best company in the world for protecting digital rights, the first telecoms operator from an emerging market to reach the top three of a closely watched global ranking.
Africa’s largest mobile operator placed second in the 2026 Ranking Digital Rights (RDR) Index, up from sixth in the previous round, the company said on 23 June 2026.
The RDR Index is a widely used benchmark for corporate accountability in the technology and telecoms sector. It scores companies on how their policies, governance and public disclosures uphold users’ rights, including freedom of expression and privacy.
A low bar, climbed
MTN credited its jump to stronger governance disclosures, a new advertising content policy and tighter user data protection, with score gains across all three of the index’s categories.
Even in second place, MTN scored just 42 out of 100, a reminder of how poorly the sector as a whole rates on the index’s measures of transparency and rights protection.
“Our progress in the Ranking Digital Rights Index reflects the deliberate steps we have taken to strengthen governance, enhance transparency and embed respect for digital human rights across our operations,” said Nompilo Morafo, MTN Group chief sustainability and corporate affairs officer.
Why it matters in Africa
The result carries weight given MTN’s operations. The group runs networks across 19 markets, many with complex regulatory environments in which operators field government requests for user data and, at times, orders to restrict access to services.
How telecoms firms handle those demands sits at the heart of the wider debate over data governance and sovereignty on the continent. For MTN, which is building out consumer platforms from fintech to its One TV streaming service, public trust in how it manages user data is increasingly a commercial asset as well as a governance one.
Leave a Reply